Dionne Jackson

Flutist Dionne Jackson was the first American in more than a decade to receive First Prize in Flute from the Paris Conservatory of Music, where she studied with the legendary teaching duo Alain Marion and Raymond Guiot. She also received First Prize in Chamber Music and performed solo recitals in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Tours, Toulouse, and Monte Carlo while on a Fulbright grant in Paris. Her CD of French flute masterpieces, Parisian Inspirations, was released by Bridge Records in January 2017.

Jackson has performed to critical acclaim as soloist, orchestral performer, and chamber musician. New York Concert Review critic Jed Distler hailed her Carnegie Hall solo debut as “a triumph on every level…. with technical perfection and incomparable soul.” Chicago Sun-Times critic Andrew Patner praised her performances as “awe-inspiring” and “phenomenal.”

In her native Chicago, Jackson has held the position of assistant principal flute with Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2001. She also performed regularly for more than a decade as a substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As guest assistant principal flute for the 2008–2009 season, she performed with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall and on international tours to Asia under the batons of Pierre Boulez and Bernard Haitink. During the 2015–2016 season, she performed at Carnegie Hall with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Andris Nelsons and was invited to perform second flute in “Symphony No. 9” on the 2016 CD Shostakovich Under Stalin’s Shadow, part of a BSO project with Deutsche Grammophon.

Jackson is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where she studied with Julius Baker; while at Juilliard, she played substitute flute and piccolo in the New York Philharmonic under Kurt Masur, Riccardo Chailly, and Valery Gergiev. She also holds a bachelor’s degree and performer’s certificate from Indiana University. She has served on the music faculties of Roosevelt University–Chicago College of Performing Arts and the University of Connecticut. Jackson is a frequent performer and master-class guest and a sponsored Sankyo artist.

"After so many years of intense musical training, decades of practicing, and many sacrifices made along the way, to be able to play grand opera for my career is the greatest privilege.  I get to hear world-class singers, work with top-notch conductors and hear my amazing colleagues in the orchestra on a daily basis. Our orchestra members work tirelessly to perform their best every night to honor their commitment to bring joy and the best artistic experiences possible to our audiences."